Thanks to the talented photographer Lise-Lott Halvorsen, who took these touching photos of my parents and brother and inspired me to write this blog post. I send huge gratitude to Ramana Maharshiś’s self-inquiry meditation, which helped shape this writing. I dedicate this blog post to my parents, who have been the master teachers of my life. Through them, I have learned about love and forgiveness. On November 8th, Father’s Day is celebrated in Norway, so Happy Father’s Day. I have read the following text in the audio, and you can listen to it here.

– Who am I?

I was born in the city of Isfahan

That’s the place my parents met

They fell in love, danced the flame of love and drama kind of

– Who am I?

I am a daughter

A Sister

A lover

And a mother

– Who am I?

As a girl

I did not understand the feeling of inferiority

How to accept the superiority

Or deal with authority

I had a rebellious point of view

A constant taboo

– Who am I?

As a daughter, I watched my mother and father

A woman was supposed to stand by her man

Follow the clan

Stand like a cliff

Never show her grief

And the men, as a part of the ban

He had to live as a man

Never less than

Never show his grief

He had to live for that belief

The anger, though, was an accepted brief

Or part of a higher relief?

That made men chief

– Who am I?

As an adult woman

I had to reframe

How to be brave and play the game

I have to manoeuvre my flame

My Claim

The right to be a woman without all the shame and the blame

All around the world

We are all the same

Women wearing jewels

Everybody follows the rules

Playing the perfect game

To suit the surroundings and not break the patriarchal frame